Here we go again! ALiberation together with Sea Shepherd Ireland invite to the screening of a great movie “Sharkwater”! The screening will be followed by a talk by John Flynn who will be just back from Ghana with first hand knowledge of the shark fin trade in the country.

“Sharkwater” takes you into the most shark rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world’s shark populations in the marine reserves of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

In an effort to protect sharks, Stewart teams up with renegade conservationist Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Their unbelievable adventure together starts with a battle between the Sea Shepherd and shark poachers in Guatemala, resulting in pirate boat rammings, gunboat chases, mafia espionage, corrupt court systems and attempted murder charges, forcing them to flee for their lives.

Through it all, Stewart discovers these magnificent creatures have gone from predator to prey, and how despite surviving the earth’s history of mass extinctions, they could easily be wiped out within a few years due to human greed. Stewart’s remarkable journey of courage and determination changes from a mission to save the world’s sharks, into a fight for his life, and that of humankind.

Sea Shepherd and ALiberation will have a stand with information and some merchandise.
The Happy Pear
10/12/2011
8pm
Church Road
Greystones

When I became straight edge, many people did not understand my choice. Especially that I always liked to experiment with various substances. I really enjoyed it. I mean until then an integral part of the fun was the alcohol or other stuff. Now I can see it’s not surprising. Getting drunk / high just for fun is part of a western style. You work all week bravely paying off mortgage and filling boss’ orders. So what else can you do over the weekend to make yourself more relaxed? And if you need more you go further and you do drugs. Drugs are intended to give you something what is missing in your life. And yeah for example cocaine can give it for a little while. However at the end of day it’s all fake, it’s all poison, it’s all a part of being a slave. Drunk people are easy to be controlled. The truth is usually they end up in the pub complaining about everything. Sometimes they are aggressive but then they attack each other. And junkies? They can’t resist at all. After years alcohol or drugs become those things that make people happy, cheer them up or stimulate them. At same time they poison their bodies and minds though. It all has consequences.

Why it’s so cool to be straight edge?

It took me a while to understand that life without alcohol and drugs is much better. It changed when I became a dad. I didn’t want my kids to see me with a bottle of beer, to smell alcohol when I’m putting them to sleep or to see I’m in some way different. And when I stopped drinking and gave up on other stuff suddenly I could see things in other way.

But back to that question. I always ask: What’s so cool in being drunk? Vomiting? Fake joy? Hangover? Someone who drunk too much and became aggressive? Lack of control? Or the fact that from time to time you end up in bed with someone you wouldn’t really like to know. So here’s the thing with being straight edge. No vomiting, true joy, no hangover, no aggressive drunks, full control and you always end up in bed with someone who is the same person in the morning.

But it’s boring!

Now, lots of people associate straight edge with boredom. That’s actually the main thing you hear. So you go to the pub and you do what? Drink orange juice?How can you pick up a girl while sober? C’mon! But in reality why the hell should it be boring? You do exactly same things, just they’re much better when your mind is clean and works right. You meet plenty of interesting and cheerful folks, you enjoy great gigs, you attend events and make new friends, you enjoy your free-of-addictions family, you’re happy that your kids are not disappointed or scared by your actions. I also tie it with veganism so it means your body is healthy and you don’t support animal cruelty. Finally I can’t really see the reason why being straight edge would be boring. Unless you can’t enjoy life without alcohol or drugs. But it only indicates you have a problem, not straight edge people.

Everyone’s choice

Personally I think it’s everyone’s choice and alcohol/drugs are not evil if you know how to use them. But I think that our civilization is so much imbued with artificial values that we should refute several myths about the straight edge movement, because it is a great alternative. We need to let people know they can make other choices in order to be happy. Until recently, the straight edge was indeed associated with the hardcore scene, but in times of consumerism, more and more people are recognizing its benefits. It’s not a subculture thing anymore.

It’s not surprising though. Junk food and GMOs are flooding our plates, corporations tell us that we need to take drugs to be healthy, and we can achieve happiness only after drink or joint. This way a healthy life free from addictions remains an alternative for those who do not want to become victims of someone’s interests, who see life differently, and looking for real values. Someone might say that Western civilization is based on the hedonistic and destructive attitudes. Wild parties, hard drinking, coke, crack, food from McDonalds, etc. Sounds like a good weekend for many. That’s true. But guess what, we weren’t straight edge our entire life too! People grow up, people change. If anyone feels it’s time for change, this change will come. And straight edge might be a change you’re looking for!

I know that some of you are based in Poland and others travel a lot. So here’s an important call. Every year – 11th of November – the fascists are trying to march through the streets of Warsaw. This march, taking place on the National Independance Day, has been the scene of anti-Semitic, rascist, xenophobic and neofascist excesses for more then a decade. Each year a broad anti-fascist coalition is trying to prevent this march through a physical blockade. Last year there were 4000 antifascists but we need more! We know that nationalists and neofascists are planning again to march along the streets of Warsaw. If you’re based in Warsaw or you’ll be there on that day, come along and say NO to fascism! No Pasaran! More info in English.

Recent massive riots in England have confounded all living in the belief that everything is okay. Especially that they occurred in the center of the Western world, which should be a wonderful example of democracy to poorer countries. So suddenly, main stream media, politicians and only Bakunin knows who else, began to ask the magic questions: why? Why these young people have so much anger? Who is guilty? And where were the police?

But the riots did not surprise most people who suffer on a daily basis from “the magnificence” of the western democracies. They only showed what is obvious. Capitalist society is in decay and only a small spark is enough to ignite it. There are tremendous anger and frustration out there. The anger that waits for any reason to explode. And if you’re living in this world trying to feed your family and pay all the bills you know this feeling is growing and growing. And you know it may soon come true in the form of uncontrolled aggression and plunder. Just like it happened in the UK. But hey, if you drive posh SUVs, your children go to private schools and clinics, and you travel first class, then yes it might be surprising. So the politicians are shocked now. Why this happened? These people have no reason to act like this! However, the truth is, they have lots of reasons and things won’t get better.

Unfortunately, these riots did not take a political character, but to be honest this is also a symbol of ubiquitous consumerism. Even during the explosion of anger the society is not fighting the cause of its misery, but steals televisions and iPhones. So Very Imporant David Cameron threaths: “You will pay for what you have done!” he said. It’s a shame he only refers to greedy kids but not greedy bankers. And he tries to hide the real reasons of such events, talking about criminals and looting. But who fed these people with the propaganda of consumption? Who persuaded them that they need all these fashionable clothes and big LCDs? Who made ​​them believe that to be someone you have to have things? God? Che Guevara? Jim Morrison? Well, no. Politicians, corporations, neo-liberals, they all worked very hard to to convince people that they must consume to be happy. They call it economy growth. At times when people can not consume – because the government takes away their benefits, impose additional taxes and gives money to the fellow bankers – people start freaking out. So that kind of unrest has become a natural consequence of capitalism, which is based on social inequalities and consumerism. Politicians may talk about criminals, but they didn’t come from nowhere. The system has produced them, selling them hundreds of lies for decades.

Of course, the government already started a campaign of threats and exhortations to tighten penalties and law. They even began to evict the families, whose members participated in the riots. They began to talk about social networks blockade, although it is highly criticized if other countries do it. So we have collective responsibility now. But hey, what else can they do? These big brains are not able to get it: preventing crime is better than punishing crime!. And by the way the prison system does not work. After several years of incarceration you have guys with better knowledge and contacts to commit crimes. It is better to make sure that something will not happen than threatening menacingly after someone has already suffered.

Also, who needs the police when people have to defend their own neighborhoods? Suddenly it became clear that British cops are very peaceful and do not want to attack citizens. I wonder why they are not so peaceful during anti-government or anti-capitalist protests? For example, the famous G20 and violence caused by the police.

To conclude this brief commentary, riots were predatory in nature, it is obvious that most people who took part in them are not fighting for any cause. However, the reasons of these events go back deep into the heart of neoliberal ideas, which produce injustice and inequality. The riots were not political, but their causes, yes. These problems will not be solved by putting people in jail, and censorship on Facebook. You need to see the real reasons and start changing them. Also these riots proved once again how useless is the State and the police. At the end of the day the people had to defend themselves, and they set up a grassroots cleaning up of their neighborhoods. It shows where the strength and hope are.

So the bankers and politicians made a lot of mess and people have to pay the bill. No jobs, cutbacks, more taxes, low salaries, lost houses, debts, IMF, corruption, crisis. Sounds familiar? It happened in Argentine in 2001 . Check out how they coped with that on September 9th at The Happy Pear in Greystones! We’ll be showing THE TAKE.

In suburban Buenos Aires, thirty unemployed auto-parts workers walk into their idle factory, roll out sleeping mats and refuse to leave. All they want is to re-start the silent machines. They reclaim control of a closed Forja auto plant where they once worked and turn it into a worker cooperative

But this simple act – the take – has the power to turn the globalization debate on its head. Armed only with slingshots and an abiding faith in shop-floor democracy, the workers face off against the bosses, bankers and a whole system that sees their beloved factories as nothing more than scrap metal for sale.

With “The Take”, director Avi Lewis, one of Canada’s most outspoken journalists, and writer Naomi Klein, author of the international bestseller No Logo, champion a radical economic manifesto for the 21st century.

Here we go again! This time we will be screening a fascinating movie The Cove! As someone said “The film itself is an act of heroism”.

The Cove begins in Taiji, Japan, where former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry has come to set things right after a long search for redemption. In the 1960s, it was O’Barry who captured and trained the 5 dolphins who played the title character in the international television sensation Flipper. But his close relationship with those dolphins – the very dolphins who sparked a global fascination with trained sea mammals that continues to this day – led O’Barry to a radical change of heart.

One fateful day, a heartbroken Barry came to realize that these deeply sensitive, highly intelligent and self-aware creatures so beautifully adapted to life in the open ocean must never be subjected to human captivity again. This mission has brought him to Taiji, a town that appears to be devoted to the wonders and mysteries of the sleek, playful dolphins and whales that swim off their coast.

But in a remote, glistening cove, surrounded by barbed wire and “Keep Out” signs, lies a dark reality. It is here, under cover of night, that the fishermen of Taiji, driven by a multi-billion dollar dolphin entertainment industry and an underhanded market for mercury-tainted dolphin meat, engage in an unseen hunt. The nature of what they do is so chilling – and the consequences are so dangerous to human health – they will go to great lengths to halt anyone from seeing it.

The Cove is directed by Louie Psihoyos and produced by Paula DuPre Pesman and Fisher Stevens. The film is written by Mark Monroe. The executive producer is Jim Clark and the co-producer is Olivia Ahnemann.

It is worth to remember what is activism. Especially when we see increase of activists. The problem is they’re more interested in fun. Well, to be honest activism is not a fun. It is often hard work, risk and fatigue. Often a series of major failures and small victories. In many cases, activism means many sacrifices and inconveniences: makes you broke, you don’t have time for yourself or you’re living on the edge of repression. In other words it’s not a party!

I think everyone likes concerts, parties and meeting friends. But let’s straight it out here: we need actions. It’s nice if you come to Vegan Cafe and have a great evening. It’s nice if you go to solidarity gig and pay five quid to help antifascists in prisons. But let’s be honest, you don’t need to go to concert to support other folks. It’s fun for you but it’s not activism unless you organise it.

So we’ve got a number of people who attend gigs, parties and they reckon they do a great job. I mean, I’m far from criticizing anyone who likes fun. Fun is not bad. We should however realize that the struggle against capitalism or the exploitation of animals is another matter. This requires a particular attitude and the dedicated people instead of party people. Of course, conformity, or rather the consumption of alternative lifestyle visible among many activists is not surprising. The specificity of the current consumer system affects activists in all fields. We’re all indoctrinated by corporate propaganda.

But at the end of day someone has to do the job. There are hundreds of important things that should be done straight away. But they’re not really fun. They may be boring, tiring or even frustrating. However, when we see hundreds of smiling people at the parties, we only see a few of them during real actions. That’s not right.

So hey, you want to change the world? You want human and animal liberation? Get involved and work hard! But if you’re looking for something different, there are many ways to have fun or expressing yourself. Otherwise you just distract those who do the job and might count on you.